Guest guest Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 Chances are, if you're over the age of 30, boys ruled the roost in your high school. They were the class presidents, captains of the debate team, editors of the student newspaper, valedictorians. The whole town cheered them on at football games. It was good to be a boy back then. Now, it seems the tide is turning. Girls are tearing through the education system, leaving many boys behind in the dust. Now, girls are the big men on campus. Business Week magazine explores the phenomenon in its May 26th cover story "The New Gender Gap." It describes a new school order where girls rule and boys are becoming the second sex. And raises questions about the long-term societal impact when boys take a backseat to girls. For a fascinating discussion, listen to the NPR (National Public Radio) program, "On Point": http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2003/09/20030901_b_main.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 6, 2003 Report Share Posted September 6, 2003 I read the gender-gap article that was located at the onpoint radio link. It does seem that there is a gender-reversal from 30 years ago. It seems to be a transition from patriarchy to a more female- focal society. The treatment of boys needs to catch up to the changing values in societies. The attention that UK is giving to "laddism" is a step in the right direction. In the US it seems that nothing constructive is being done to give boys a new role in a society that has changed values. One promising study given was that "brain research shows that boys are actually more empathic, expressive, and emotive at birth than girls. But Pollock says the boy code, which bathes them in a culture of stoicism and reticence, often socializes those aptitudes out of them by the second grade. "We now have executives paying $10,000 a week to learn emotional intelligence," says Pollock. "These are actually the skills boys are born with." The training of boys needs to change from an early age to develop in a more androgynous way that will fully develop all their capacities. I have raised my son this way and he is excelling and is at the top along with the girls in music, academics, sports, writing, and reading. I always encouraged him to develop in art, writing, reading, music, and his capacity to care for others. Things that may not have been traditionally encouraged in boys. And he has responded and so far has not fallen behind like the boys mentioned in the article and the radio broadcast. How do others feel in countries other than the US about boys falling behind girls in academics and school? Is it an epidemic like in the US? Randy , "Devi Bhakta" <devi_bhakta> wrote: > Chances are, if you're over the age of 30, boys ruled the roost in > your high school. They were the class presidents, captains of the > debate team, editors of the student newspaper, valedictorians. The > whole town cheered them on at football games. It was good to be a boy > back then. > > Now, it seems the tide is turning. Girls are tearing through the > education system, leaving many boys behind in the dust. Now, girls > are the big men on campus. Business Week magazine explores the > phenomenon in its May 26th cover story "The New Gender Gap." It > describes a new school order where girls rule and boys are becoming > the second sex. And raises questions about the long-term societal > impact when boys take a backseat to girls. > > For a fascinating discussion, listen to the NPR (National Public > Radio) program, "On Point": > > http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2003/09/20030901_b_main.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 6, 2003 Report Share Posted September 6, 2003 Your point is well taken that American culture isn't providing boys with proper outlets and ways of developing their potential. However, boys and men have been writing stories along the lines of aliens taking over hospitals rather than caring for the hospital inhabitants (an example given in the gender gap article of a supposed healthy measure to incorporate boys' natural ways of relating into the educational system) for years, if Hollywood is any indication (and I think it is). I think the competition between the two genders is the problem -- or that the problem exists in what underlies the competition between the genders. Why are the genders measured and pitted against each other? In September's Psychology Today there was an article about the difference between male and female brains. In that article, the author asked if she needed to make clear that difference didn't mean superiority. Then, in the body of the article, she went on to discuss the "superior" spatial ability of the male brain, and the "talent" in languages that females have. In the gender gap article, similar comparaitve words are used, for example, saying that boys are "superior spatial thinkers" and "more empathic,expressive and emotive" than females to begin with. I think a solution to this is in developing each individual's awareness of their brain hemispheres, and how to move consciously from one side to the other, to learn to develop the potential within. It could be that this issue of the new gender gap can help alert people that this kind of transition is necessary, but only if people with a new kind of awareness get involved, rather than those who continue to promote competition between the two brain hemispheres, and by extension, between male and female. , "Randy" <colli01@a...> wrote: > I read the gender-gap article that was located at the onpoint radio > link. It does seem that there is a gender-reversal from 30 years > ago. It seems to be a transition from patriarchy to a more female- > focal society. The treatment of boys needs to catch up to the > changing values in societies. The attention that UK is giving > to "laddism" is a step in the right direction. In the US it seems > that nothing constructive is being done to give boys a new role in a > society that has changed values. One promising study given was that > > "brain research shows that boys are actually more empathic, > expressive, and emotive at birth than girls. But Pollock says the boy > code, which bathes them in a culture of stoicism and reticence, often > socializes those aptitudes out of them by the second grade. "We now > have executives paying $10,000 a week to learn emotional > intelligence," says Pollock. "These are actually the skills boys are > born with." > > The training of boys needs to change from an early age to develop in > a more androgynous way that will fully develop all their capacities. > I have raised my son this way and he is excelling and is at the top > along with the girls in music, academics, sports, writing, and > reading. I always encouraged him to develop in art, writing, reading, > music, and his capacity to care for others. Things that may not have > been traditionally encouraged in boys. And he has responded and so > far has not fallen behind like the boys mentioned in the article and > the radio broadcast. > > How do others feel in countries other than the US about boys falling > behind girls in academics and school? Is it an epidemic like in the > US? > > Randy > > , "Devi Bhakta" > <devi_bhakta> wrote: > > Chances are, if you're over the age of 30, boys ruled the roost in > > your high school. They were the class presidents, captains of the > > debate team, editors of the student newspaper, valedictorians. The > > whole town cheered them on at football games. It was good to be a > boy > > back then. > > > > Now, it seems the tide is turning. Girls are tearing through the > > education system, leaving many boys behind in the dust. Now, girls > > are the big men on campus. Business Week magazine explores the > > phenomenon in its May 26th cover story "The New Gender Gap." It > > describes a new school order where girls rule and boys are becoming > > the second sex. And raises questions about the long-term societal > > impact when boys take a backseat to girls. > > > > For a fascinating discussion, listen to the NPR (National Public > > Radio) program, "On Point": > > > > http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2003/09/20030901_b_main. asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2003 Report Share Posted September 7, 2003 Well said. I agree that both girls and boys should develop their full potential in both left and right brain functions without any kind of suppression based on gender. And I also think that to state it in terms of hierarchy or dominance is not going to lead to the highest level of progress. And as you said, the different genders - and people in general, should be working together in such a way that each contributes their strengths and helps each other with their weaknesses. Not in a spirit of competition. Randy , "Mary Ann" <maryann@m...> wrote: > Your point is well taken that American culture isn't providing boys > with proper outlets and ways of developing their potential. > However, boys and men have been writing stories along the > lines of aliens taking over hospitals rather than caring for the > hospital inhabitants (an example given in the gender gap article > of a supposed healthy measure to incorporate boys' natural > ways of relating into the educational system) for years, if > Hollywood is any indication (and I think it is). I think the > competition between the two genders is the problem -- or that > the problem exists in what underlies the competition between > the genders. Why are the genders measured and pitted against > each other? In September's Psychology Today there was an > article about the difference between male and female brains. In > that article, the author asked if she needed to make clear that > difference didn't mean superiority. Then, in the body of the article, > she went on to discuss the "superior" spatial ability of the male > brain, and the "talent" in languages that females have. In the > gender gap article, similar comparaitve words are used, for > example, saying that boys are "superior spatial thinkers" and > "more empathic,expressive and emotive" than females to begin > with. I think a solution to this is in developing each individual's > awareness of their brain hemispheres, and how to move > consciously from one side to the other, to learn to develop the > potential within. It could be that this issue of the new gender gap > can help alert people that this kind of transition is necessary, but > only if people with a new kind of awareness get involved, rather > than those who continue to promote competition between the > two brain hemispheres, and by extension, between male and > female. > > , "Randy" > <colli01@a...> wrote: > > I read the gender-gap article that was located at the onpoint > radio > > link. It does seem that there is a gender-reversal from 30 > years > > ago. It seems to be a transition from patriarchy to a more > female- > > focal society. The treatment of boys needs to catch up to the > > changing values in societies. The attention that UK is giving > > to "laddism" is a step in the right direction. In the US it seems > > that nothing constructive is being done to give boys a new role > in a > > society that has changed values. One promising study given > was that > > > > "brain research shows that boys are actually more empathic, > > expressive, and emotive at birth than girls. But Pollock says the > boy > > code, which bathes them in a culture of stoicism and reticence, > often > > socializes those aptitudes out of them by the second grade. > "We now > > have executives paying $10,000 a week to learn emotional > > intelligence," says Pollock. "These are actually the skills boys > are > > born with." > > > > The training of boys needs to change from an early age to > develop in > > a more androgynous way that will fully develop all their > capacities. > > I have raised my son this way and he is excelling and is at the > top > > along with the girls in music, academics, sports, writing, and > > reading. I always encouraged him to develop in art, writing, > reading, > > music, and his capacity to care for others. Things that may not > have > > been traditionally encouraged in boys. And he has responded > and so > > far has not fallen behind like the boys mentioned in the article > and > > the radio broadcast. > > > > How do others feel in countries other than the US about boys > falling > > behind girls in academics and school? Is it an epidemic like > in the > > US? > > > > Randy > > > > , "Devi Bhakta" > > <devi_bhakta> wrote: > > > Chances are, if you're over the age of 30, boys ruled the roost > in > > > your high school. They were the class presidents, captains of > the > > > debate team, editors of the student newspaper, > valedictorians. The > > > whole town cheered them on at football games. It was good > to be a > > boy > > > back then. > > > > > > Now, it seems the tide is turning. Girls are tearing through > the > > > education system, leaving many boys behind in the dust. > Now, girls > > > are the big men on campus. Business Week magazine > explores the > > > phenomenon in its May 26th cover story "The New Gender > Gap." It > > > describes a new school order where girls rule and boys are > becoming > > > the second sex. And raises questions about the long-term > societal > > > impact when boys take a backseat to girls. > > > > > > For a fascinating discussion, listen to the NPR (National > Public > > > Radio) program, "On Point": > > > > > > > http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2003/09/20030901_b_main. > asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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